Tag: Super-app

Manila, Philippines – As more and more Filipinos are getting more engaged in social media, everyone of us finds whatever we need online, from food necessities and essentials to finding new connections. However, the irony of social media is evident with the existence of ads and countless content that the user may not actually find useful for them.

Such a dilemma is the objective for AppZaloot, the new super-app expanding to the Philippines, aims to erase, bringing back the ‘human’ in humanity, and making connecting online more meaningful through local connections and presenting only what matters to the user.

Founded by Max Thomas in 2016, the app does not collect data from its users without their full consent, allowing them to use social media without worrying if their privacy is being compromised.

“We understand that most people don’t want to have their data used by social media companies, regardless if the data will be used for good intentions such as creating targeted ads and personalizing their feeds to enhance their social media experience,” Thomas said.

He added, “That’s why in AppZaloot, we value our users’ privacy by not collecting and sharing their data without their full consent, allowing them to see and enjoy how social media should really be done.”

The greater asset of AppZaloot is it uses geolocation-based technology, which enables the users on the app’s local feed to interact with other users in their area, as near as 1km from where they are to up to 25km. This feature allows users to engage with their neighbors, strengthening community ties, providing help where it’s needed, and disseminating relevant local news and updates. 

Having a separate feed for their local community enables users to control what they want to see and when they want to see them as well, as opposed to getting ads and updates that other social media platforms integrate into their users’ feed.

The choice of ads on the platform is only heavily based on the app’s local advertising feed, where users can check local establishments for accommodation, entertainment, local services, food, trades, and shopping. Having a dedicated feed just for ads ensures that users’ feeds are not clogged with pointless and irrelevant ads.

In addition, a private friends feed is also present in the app, where users can view what their friends are up to, which allows them to focus on communicating with their friends and family, bringing back what it means to be social on social media.

Part of the app’s features is the global feed that allows users to follow their favorite celebrities, influencers, businesses, and their other interests. In contrast to the local and private friends’ feeds, users can check out their favorite content and enhance their interests and hobbies through the global feed.

Lastly, AppZaloot will also feature an emergency system that sends out alerts to users based on their local area, ranging from COVID-19 outbreaks, traffic accidents to bad weather.

In a press conference, AppZaloot revealed that they will be preparing to launch its very own crypto tokens called Zaloots, the pre-sale of which will be available by the end of June. Said tokens can be tradeable on several international decentralized crypto exchanges. This will be eventually integrated into AppZaloot’s upcoming loyalty program, as well as used on the app for payments and rewards.

Manila, Philippines – PayLater, the buy now pay later feature from super-app Grab, has finally rolled out in the Philippines, giving Grab users in the country a solution to let them shop, dine, ride and pay later in one monthly bill across Grab’s services such as GrabCar, GrabFood, GrabMart, and GrabExpress.

PayLater is available to top-tier and long-time Grab users who regularly use the app’s features and those with significant transactions across the app’s different services. If a consumer qualifies for the feature, it will appear as a payment method for Grab transactions, along with other payment methods such as cash, GrabPay, and enrolled credit cards. The consumer has to click and subscribe to activate the PayLater feature.

The PayLater bill will be generated on the 1st or 15th of the month with seven days to settle, depending on the activation day. This will give consumers time to manage and plan their finances responsibly. 

In addition, the users can avoid any bill shock by tracking their transactions by going to the PayLater section and click the ‘view details’ button to see their current spending total, available balance, and transaction history. The entire PayLater system is transparent, so people can see that there are no hidden fees. To avoid late fees, users can enable their notifications to receive regular payment reminders before their due date. 

“This new feature allows our users to enjoy Grab’s suite of services such as delivery of food or other essential items and pay for them a whole month later. It allows them to better plan their finances and manage their cash flow, as they can review all their transactions in one monthly bill with zero interest,” said Erwin Yamsuan, head of Grab Financial Services in the Philippines. 

He added, “One of the best things about this service is that consumers will also earn points for every transaction which they can collect and exchange for great rewards. It’s been a challenging year for many Filipinos, and we hope that this new Grab service brings more convenience to many people.”

Aside from the convenience it offers to users, PayLater also offers a rewarding bonus to those who avail of the service. Grab users will earn reward points for any transaction they charge to their PayLater accounts.

Singapore – Airasia’s food delivery platform, airasia food, which is part of the airline’s super-app,has now expanded to Singapore, starting off with a special offer for newly-signed food and beverage (F&B) merchants in the island.

Airasia food offers an online solution for merchants in maintaining their F&B business, as it runs on flat-rate plans and a fast turnaround, allowing merchants to go live within 48 hours upon registration, and at the same time offering a new alternative for consumers. 

For special sign-on rate, airasia food is offering those signing up in Singapore before 1 March, 2021 a commission rate from as low as 8% for the month of March, compared to the usual commission rate of 15% by airasia food. 

Furthermore, airasia food merchants will also receive support from a dedicated account manager who will assist in bringing the F&B business online, provide system support on data analytics and monitoring. Merchants can also leverage on airasia’s extensive marketing effort and periodic campaigns to drive publicity and sales. 

For Tony Fernandes, CEO of the airasia Group, their expansion to the Lion City responds to the ‘vibrant market’ in the region, and hopes that airasia food’s local presence will “democratize the food delivery industry by providing value, simplicity and inclusivity for everyone.”

“Airasia food offers the lowest commission rate in town, enabling merchants to earn more while having full control over their menu, pricing and easy access to data aside from being able to communicate directly with their customers. We look forward to serving the people of Lion City on ground with the delicious offerings from their favorite F&B outlets,” Fernandes said.